Chapter 198: Chapter 197: Come on, Blue Flame, No. 4 Machine is decided to be you!
"Only those who offer conditions that satisfy me are eligible to become the president."
"The reason the President sent you is to give me more choices."
"Of course, his personal motives are also at play here."
For some reason, Chenfeng suddenly felt a chill.
Although they had long anticipated what Lan Yan said, they all felt that Ting Gu must have a secret agreement with Lan Yan, but for some reason, hearing it from Lan Yan’s mouth made their hearts race.
Qin Le Yin suddenly asked, "So, except for the lucky one who can satisfy General Lan, do the others lose their qualification?"
"It’s not just about losing qualification." Lan Yan smiled, "The reason President Ting and I haven’t exchanged letters is because this matter can’t be put to paper. And my contract with the next president naturally cannot be known by outsiders. Moreover, I have to create momentum for my partner so that he can smoothly take control of the Silver Blood Association."
"In other words, everyone except the new president—"
"Must die."
Quan Xin panicked, "Didn’t you say you would grant us preferential treatment?"
"Yes," Lan Yan adjusted his glasses, "All of you now have a chance, not only to save your lives but also to elevate your families to the peak, becoming the number one merchant association in Dongyang. Isn’t that enough preferential treatment?"
"Moreover, this is also the intention of President Ting. Didn’t he send you here hoping that I could do the job for him?"
Luo Zhen gritted his teeth, "If we die, the nine major merchant associations won’t spare the Ting family!"
"The Ting family no longer needs you to spare them." Lan Yan asked, "Do you know what most of the supplies you sent were?"
"Firearms, bullets, and various military supplies."
"President Ting hopes that the Linhai Army and the Heyang Army will fight another battle. Let me think, if the Ting family hopes the Heyang Army is weakened, it means they can seize the opportunity to join in when the Heyang Army recovers its Primordial Energy, completing the transition from merchants to soldiers."
"Chao Chen," Lan Yan smiled and asked, "if I’m not mistaken, do you have siblings holding important positions in the Heyang Army?"
Chao Chen didn’t lie, his face looked grim as he nodded, "My elder brother is now an assistant general in the Heyang Army."
"He’s already an officer, no wonder, no wonder..." Lan Yan nodded, "As long as our Linhai Army puts in more effort, seriously injuring one-third of the Heyang Army’s living force, they will surely turn to your Ting family’s private armed forces and firearms factories to replenish their combat power. After this event, your Ting family will become one of the general gates of the Heyang Army."
"At that point, the Ting family will no longer be just Silver Blood Association, or rather, they will have surpassed Silver Blood Association, so why would they fear the retaliation of your nine major merchant associations?"
At this moment, Chao Chen and others finally realized where the inexplicable chill in their hearts came from!
They were all wrong in their guesses!
Previously, they believed that Ting Gu was cooperating with Lan Yan to annex the Silver Blood Association or that Ting Gu and Lan Yan were on equal footing.
But in reality, Ting Gu had completely abandoned the Silver Blood Association, even offering the younger generation as a sacrifice to Lan Yan, simply for a chance for the Ting family to enter the Heyang Army!
Ting Gu never intended to annex the nine major merchant associations!
This old fox saw very clearly, decades of ups and downs in life taught him one thing: The more adept you are in scheming, the more you are constrained by all sides.
Merchants have limits, unless they transcend being merchants.
Therefore, the Ting family no longer acts as merchants!
Young Master Ting Wan Jian was not the Ting family’s fallback or alternative plan, he was the true heir. The Ting family aimed to transform from a merchant family to a military family!
Ting Gu didn’t care who the next Silver Blood president would be because he had already stepped out of this game!
He directly abandoned the Silver Blood Association!
Lan Jianbo was drenched in cold sweat, but he didn’t give up: "General Lan, you’re the grand marshal of three armies, why be fixated on an old merchant’s agreement? Instead of being used by Ting Gu, why not cooperate with us? As long as the Linhai Army doesn’t attack the Heyang Army, the Ting family will have no chance to interfere with the military. We, the nine major merchant associations, guarantee to hunt down the Ting family in the future and present their wealth to you on a silver platter!"
"Being used isn’t necessarily bad." Lan Yan smiled, "just as he uses me, I also use him. That’s the nature of relationships in this world, why mind it?"
"Moreover, attacking the Heyang Army is predetermined. Even if the Ting family didn’t cooperate with me, I wouldn’t let an intact standing army stay in the north of Chenfeng District."
"Furthermore, if I don’t put some pressure on you, how will the new president gather the ’gift’ for the Linhai Army quickly?"
"Other things I’m not sure of," Lan Yan looked at the bloodstains on the ground, "but I am certain of one thing: the Silver Blood Association won’t shed tears until they see the coffin."
Quan Xin swallowed hard, "But you don’t have to choose a president. We are all heirs to merchant associations. If you kill us, you’ll only provoke our families. But if we’re alive to return, we can certainly offer General Lan more benefits."
Lan Yan laughed, "But I don’t need a united Silver Blood Association."
The group was taken aback, then immediately felt the cruel malice in Lan Yan’s words.
A negotiation group composed of ten merchant association heirs, only one returns alive, and he becomes the Silver Blood Association president.
Even though compelled momentarily, the Silver Blood Association may have to follow the president’s orders to raise funds and stave off disaster, but afterward, they will inevitably harbor deep resentment towards the president.
Why were you the only one who came back?
Why did you make the Silver Blood Association lose so much money?
Forcing merchants to lose money is like cutting their flesh. Along with incitement from other major merchant associations, the new president is almost certain to be ousted and possibly purged.
And the only way for the new president to avoid such an outcome is to continue holding onto the Linhai Army, channeling benefits to them to solidify his position!
Lan Yan’s actions weren’t merely to satisfy Ting Gu; everything he did was for his own real interests!
Ting Gu wasn’t randomly hinting to or providing supplies to Lan Yan; he foresaw Lan Yan’s needs and offered solutions that hit his sweet spot!
An old fox and an ambitious person are like a meeting of golden wind and jade dew, surpassing countless encounters on earth.
And the negotiation group was merely a sideshow in their transaction, a throw-in, not even considered a dessert!
To deceive them, Ting Gu even spent a large sum to hire a white-haired assassin, using the assassin as hot sauce. If they managed to kill Lan Yan, the Heyang Army would likely be incited by Ting Gu to pursue and suffer heavy losses; if not, Lan Yan, in anger, would slaughter the entire negotiation group, and Ting Gu wouldn’t suffer a loss anyway.
"Is there really no room for negotiation?" Luo Zhen clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he spoke.
"The prices you’ve offered aren’t enough to make me betray my understanding with President Ting." Lan Yan shrugged, "If unnecessary, I won’t betray my partners. Lan has few commendable qualities but keeping promises has always been my life credo."
Le Yu felt he had an urge to complain but couldn’t find the right target—Lan Yan wasn’t part of White Night; undermining Star Engraving and White Night’s plans aligned with his stance both emotionally and rationally;
Betraying Ding Yi was indeed a stain on him, but Le Yu questioned whether Ding Yi was killed by him or White Night Walker. If he avenged his master by killing White Night Walker after Ding Yi’s death, it would be a gloriously just image.
After thinking it through, it seemed Lan Yan indeed hadn’t broken any promises.
"Well then, please keep it brief."
Lan Yan snapped his fingers, and paper and pens were placed in the hands of the six-member negotiation group.
The six looked at each other before quickly burying their heads to write.
Though their friendships were good, this was a matter of life and death!
Even if they were close family, they wouldn’t hesitate to set each other up.
This is the Silver Blood Association.
And Le Yu glanced at the blank paper and pen, placing them back on the table, then closed his eyes to rest.
Since the Silver Blood president was just a puppet, a conspiracy, he didn’t need to care either.
Initially, he thought he might become the president, only to find he was simply a part of someone else’s plan.
Bet on the wrong horse, since Le Yu lost the bet, he’ll accept his due outcome!
Come on, Lan Yan!
If you dare, kill me!